It’s all very well enjoying the lovely cocktails at the new Las Iguanas on Newcastle Quayside – but what if you want a go at making them yourself?

We were invited to check out the South American restaurant – the second Las Iguanas in Newcastle , which shows how popular the brand is – and couldn’t resist a cocktail making masterclass from bartender Ross Williams.

After showing us himself how to make the famed caipirinha, it was down to myself to give it a go, as our video shows.

Caipirinha is synonymnous with Brazil and made with cachaca, lime (or lemon) juice, sugar, and crushed ice.

First up you need to take a handful of lime segments (Ross recommended eight) and then three teaspoons of sugar before pulping them together.

Our video shows how that should be done, as there is a certain technique to get it right.

Then you add the first load of crushed ice before adding the essential ingredient of cachaca, a distilled spirit made from sugarcane juice. Count to five when pouring it (apparently I counted too slowly, so it was perhaps a tad stronger than necessary!) and then you pulp all that together, which in turn releases all the oils and flavours.

Add some more ice, grab a straw, and you have your very own caipirinha!

A look around of the new Las Iguanas restaurant, Newcastle Quayside

If you are heading to Las Iguanas Newcastle Quayside, of course you need to try the food too. We had a superb meal there and fantastic waiter service from Conor Snary, whose personal recommendations to me on what to have really hit the spot!.

All in all a cracking night – and we’ll be back...and making some caipirinha at home too!